Jobs and cleaner streets promised by council but budget hits buffers as Labour plan voted down

North East Lincolnshire council leader Rax Oxby promised job creation and cleaner communities in the budget (Image: Grimsby Telegraph)

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Job creation and cleaner streets are at the heart of ambitious plans for North East Lincolnshire as the council budget for the year ahead was revealed.

But the proposals were left in deadlock last night after a meeting of the full council rejected the budget for 2018/19 when the ruling Labour group was outvoted by opposition parties.

The council will now meet again next week to try to find an agreement on a range of issues from council tax to regeneration.

Among proposals outlined by Labour Leader of the council Ray Oxby to make neighbourhoods in Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire smarter, were promises to step up enforcement action on fly-tipping and littering.

Mr Oxby said his administration put forward a plan that it claimed "protected the most vulnerable in our society, while looking to create jobs, housing and economic growth".

It would see council tax increased by at least 4.98 per cent and give the council £124 million to spend next year, with 75 per cent of the budget being enveloped for Adult Social Care and Children's Services.

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The council says the SHIIP programme could bring upwards of 3,000 new jobs to the area and create millions of pounds worth of revenue through business rates.

The Greater Grimsby Town Deal, revealed in 2017 promises major regeneration

The budget promised an emphasis on enforcement activity in the borough, looking to tackle rogue landlords, littering, dog fouling and anti-social behaviour.

“We will continue to deliver our waste and recycling operations, looking to invest in a weekly recycling arrangement and consider providing a choice of larger bins, where appropriate.”

Arguing for his "prudent and ambitious" budget, Mr Oxby was keen to stress the differences between his administration and the troubled Conservative-run Northamptonshire County Council which has fallen into recent financial difficulties, saying that his administration has been careful not to make the same mistakes.

He said: "It gives me a tremendous sense of pride that this administration continues to meet the challenge of a much diminished revenue budget, owing to unprecedented central government cuts.

"Yet continues to drive innovation, drive local economic growth, drive improvement, continues to focus on the most vulnerable of our citizens and remains prepared to take some very difficult decisions.

"We face some deep seated challenges in this borough, challenges that have transcended the life of this authority and its predecessors.

"Low land values, a skills gap still too wide, a health inequality gap, low aspiration and a lack of ambition to do something about it.

"That was until this administration got a grip of the issues."

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However despite Mr Oxby's efforts, opposition councillors resoundingly rejected the budget that was put forward, highlighting cuts to key council services in recent years, a lack of clarity regarding budget envelopes, the increase in council tax and that council pledges would not be followed through by the administration.

However, none of the opposition parties proposed any amendments or an alternative budget proposal.

That left the budget deadlocked and the council will have to return for another full council meeting next week.

Conservative Leader Councillor Philip Jackson hit out at the proposed council tax increase, saying cuts to council services did not warrant the taxpayer having to pay more money. He said that the council failed to seize on a number of schemes put forward by the Tories to generate funds.

He said: "Last year we proposed changes to the council tax support scheme that would have generated £300,000 a year, but that was turned down by the council, along with other groups.

"The council leader has said that the council is having to deal with an ever reducing budget, but the forecast for next year would seem to show slightly more funding.

"The O'Neill's Pub is in the second year of council ownership and still not leased out and generating income, but instead costing for security and the upkeep of the building.

"Why has it taken so long to sort out the public toilets in Cleethorpes? And how does it cost £184,000 a year to maintain their upkeep.

"The Gypsy and Traveller site saga is in its forth year and shows no sign of ending, not to mention the car parking strategy that has still not been implemented.

"The pledges for increased enforcement is too little too late, as we have went years with the revenue from fines and allowed the area to become a mess, because to tackle anything goes against the culture of this administration."

Liberal Democrat Leader Stephen Beasant hit out at cuts to recent services as well, while also stating his concerns over budget envelopes, feeling that they did not paint a clear and concise picture of what the funding would entail.

He also felt that the council was simply recycling budget proposals from 2017 and that "even whole paragraph's have been lifted from the year before".

East Marsh ward councillor Steve Beasant.

The East Marsh councillor said: "I have listened close to both speakers and I have come to the conclusion that this budget is not build on sand, but in fact quicksand.

"When you look at the budget envelopes we do not know what a lot of it is actually for.

"There are some fine words in this budget, just like there was in last year's budget, in fact the same paragraph's appear from the budget we voted on last year, and it hit us, it really hit us hard.

"Services are overwhelmed daily and people are dropping rubbish everywhere as there is not the services and facilities required.

"Over the last five years there has been a culture of no enforcement, and I can remember once when we used to walk down the street without all the litter or dog fouling that goes on now.

"If the council needs to make cuts to generate funds, then I think it needs to start looking at the 42 sat around this table and seeing whether or not it can make efficiencies there."

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Following the party leaders speeches there was passionate pleas from all sides voicing why they should vote to pass or reject the budget, with all parties appearing to have dug their heals firmly in the sand.

Labour councillors highlighted to their opposition counterparts that failure to pass the budget would "make them a laughing stock in Westminster".

Councillors will return to a full meeting of the council next week to try to unlock the budget deadlock

But the opposition remained firm, accusing the council of mismanaging the borough to a point where it was so unsightly that businesses simply would not want to invest here despite acknowledging some of the council's investment plans.

In the end the budget was rejected by a vote of 16 to 20 with one abstention and there was also five absences.

The budget will now be moved onto another meeting of the Special Full Council next week.